Electric fire-alarm system.



J., G. SCHLUOHTNER.

ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1913.

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W A 1 m m S 1 I W T m Z I'll' J. G. SGHLUGHTNER. ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 4, 1913.

1,079,667. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

5 8HEBTS-8HEBT 2.

WITNE88E8 INVENTOR,

J. G. SGHLUGHTNER. ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. APPLIOATIOH FILED gm. 4, 1913.

1,079,667 Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

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' W/TNE88E8 INVENTOR,

I I i JosepbQJ/Uicfiemeg;

J. G. SOHLUGHTNER. ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN; 4, 1913.

Patented Nov, 25, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVE'ITUR, Joseph QfillzZc/i HM);

u III l HTTORNEY J. G. SOHLUOHTNER. ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 4, 1913.

1,079,667, Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

v INVENTOR, Jmepk finfi'lhidzne A, I ATTORNEYv STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J'OSEPH.G. SCKLUCHTNEB, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed January 4, 1913. Serial No. 740,128.

Fire-Alarm Systems, of which the following is a specification.

. My improvements contemplate an automatic electric fire-alarm system designed especially forvuse in detecting and indicating the places of outbreak of fires in localities where there are buildings having a number of floorsor apartments to be protected, the same in the preferred construction being designed'to indicate where the fire has started not only locally in or at the building aflected but at some generally 1 central point, such as fire or underwriters headquarters. Its objects are to produce an alarm system which, while generally simple in construction and capable of installation with the least difficulty and expense and disturbance of existing structure, shall be highly eificient and reliable in operation and in other respects answer the various requirements ex pected or desired in, systems of its character.

The system is not confined to use simply as a fire alarm system but may be used W1 advantage in the many other instances where it is desired to have indicated the fact of an undue rise in temperature and its exact location.

It will be helpful to an understan of the system hereinafter described in detall in illustration of the invention to e in briefly that for each building protecte the system includes a series of prime circuit closers, (either thermally or manna ly operated tell-tales or both), one or more for each floor or other-apartment; .a local indicatoralarm device disposed at a suitable central station in such building; a distant indicator device disposed at fire or underwriters headquarters or some other generally central (point; a normally 1mpelled train of secoa ary circuit closers one of which appertains to the distant indicator device and the restof which appertain to the local indicator-alarm and re spectively correspond'to the primary circuit closers; a ,su plementa ryalarm dis osed at and preferab y outside of each building protected; means for normally but releasably rest-raining said normally impelled train of circuit closers against movement, and the necessary circuit connections whereby the following operation will take place upon the closing of the circuit b any of the tellteles, to wit: the substantia ly immediate operation of the local indicator-alarm as an indicator, accompanied byv the o ration of the distant indicator device; t e substantially' immediate, operation of the supplementary alarm at the building; and finally the operation of the indicator-alarm as an alarm, with the consequence that, not only will the exact fire in the building be indicated at thebuilding but the location of the buildin itself indicated at the generally centra station, and an alarm,'without indication, at once given to those near but outside of the building, and also given inside of the building after the system has completed its function of indicating.

Referring, now, to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly diagrammatic, of the system; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of theparts of the place of the outbreak of the system whereby the movement of the train of circuit-closers is started and the indicator-alarm device operated as an indicator; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the instrumentalities whereby the central indicator is actuated and th indicator-alarm device operated as an ala Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic ,view. ofthe i strumentalities whereby the supplementary larm is operated; Fig. 5 shows a part of the impelled train of circuit closers, a part of t means for restraining the same against the instrumentalit' s whereby the switchi of the current for perating the central indicator and the Indicator-alarm as an alarm from one to he other of thesedevices isaccomplished, t e view being partly in side elevation and partly in section; Fig.6 is a plan view, pai-tly in section, of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5 and of the means for governing the movement of the impelled tram of circuit closers; Fig.

7 is a horizontal sectional view of ce t i ovement, and a partnof.

view on the line y-y 0 Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the interior cylinder shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is an underneath .view of said cylinder; Fig. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one of the thermally 0 erated tell-tales; Figs. 13, 14 and 1 5 are a p an view, a front elevation, partly in section, and a horizontal sectional view of a manually operated tell-tale; Fig. 16 is a front elevation of the indicator-alarm; and, Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the main cut-out of the system.

IA designates the indicator-alarm, that is, the lhereinbefore mentioned device disposed. at some central point in each building-protected for first indicating the place of outbreak pf the fire and then producing anialarm regardless of indication of the whereabouts of the fire; CI designates the indicator at some station, such as fire or underwriters headquarters, central with respect to all the buildings protected; SA designates the supplementary alarm located at each building protected; B designates a battery or other source of current; and T designates the tell-tales (which may be automatic or manually operated, as hereinafter explained, both forms being shown in Fig. 1) distributed throughout each building, one or more to'each floor or apartment protected. The indicator-alarm IA, with the group of moving'parts of the system now to be described, is placed at some interior more or less frequented place in the building protected; the. supplementary alarm is preferably placed outside but at or near the building. t

On a slate or. other insulative support 1 are secured the vertical 'parallel hollow guides 2 (Figs. 1, 5, 6. and 7) in which move the vertical rails or bars 3 of a slide 4 which includes, with said rails, a yoke 5 connecting them and provided with a hook-shaped handle 6 and an upstanding eye 7 :the lefthand bar of the slide is a. rack 3 the guides 2 and the slide are alll-flf metal excepting for the lower extremity of the rack-shaped bar 3, which is of insulatin material as shown in Fig. 5. The left-hand guide forms a housing for a vertically shiftable bar 8 having lugs 9 at its ends projecting through vertical slots 10 in the guide, said bar having a rack 11 and being held against the front wall of the housing by a bridge-piece 12 and normally kept elevated to a limit afforded by the slots 10 by a plate-spring 13 attached to said bridge-piece and engaging in a notch 14 in the bar. When the slide 4 is raised it engages the upper lug 9 of bar 8.and raises the latter to the position where it will be held elevated by the spring 13; when the slide descends it engages the lower lug 9 and forces bar 8 downwardly, the spring slipping out of notch 14.

Meshing with the rack 3 is a metallic pinion 15 on a metallic arbor 16 journaled in the bearings 17 and forming the axial support for the train of secondary circuit closers aforementioned. The several local and single distant circuit closers in this train are preferably formed as follows: Each is a toothed metallic wheel 18 (Fig. 2) fixed on the arbor 16 and having its teeth removed at intervals so as to leave the remaining teeth projecting therefrom as contacts 19. The contacts of the several local circuit closers differ from each other, preferably in respect to the number thereof, it being understood that each circuit closer corresponds to some number arbitrarily given each apartment or floor protected, whose number differs from that given all the other apartments or floors; the contacts of the distant circuit closer (shown in Fig. 1 at the left of the, arbor and spaced from the local circuit closers) are of a number to correspond to that arbitrarily given each building protected or the district, etc., in which it is. Preferably the gaps between the teeth of the wheels 18 are filled with insulation 20, and the wheels have also insulating rims 0r flanges 21 forming guides for certa n metallic strips 21' which are secured to the support 1 and bear against the peripheries of the circuit closers. 22 in Fig. 1 is any suitable typeof spring-motor normally impelling the train of circuit-closers in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 5.

It will be observed that the normal tend- 95 ency of the impelled train of circuit closers is, through the pinion 15 and rack 3, to depress the slide to the limit which is afforded by the two lugs 9 of bar 8 when said lugs engage the lower ends of the corre- 100 spending slots 10. 'Means for looking or restraining the slide against descent under the influence of the impelled train of circuit closers is provided as follows.

An insulative cylinder 23 has its arbor 24 5 j ournaled in bearings 25 attached to the support 1 and at one end of this cylinder is a radially projecting stop 26, the other end of the cylinder carrying the radial forked jaws 27. The jaws 27 are in vertical alinement with the eye 7 on the slide 4. When the slide is elevated the top of the eye engages the upper jaw member 27, turning the cylinder so that the lower jaw member is thrust into the eye, being thus adapted to support the slide upon the cylinder being retained against backward rotation; the cylinder being free for backward rotation the slide will in descending rotate the cylinder (to the dotted line position in Fig. 5) far enough to clear it, leaving it in that osition until the slide-is again raised. The stop 26, when the slide in rising rotates the cylinder, wipes over and so depresses a detent 28 which is thereupon returned by a spring 29 into locking relation to the stop 26. The detent constitutes the armature of a'magnet 30.

In the cylinder 23 is an inset. metallic contact 31 against which are adapted to bear the metallic strips 32 corresponding in number to the metallic strips 21' for the" fixed metallic strip 35 electrically connected.

with the magnet 30. At36 another contact is inset into the cylinder and adapted to be engaged by the fixed strips 37 to bridge the same.

The rack 11 of the bar 8- meshes with a pinion 38 fixed on an arbor 39 journaled in the left-hand guide 2 and carrying on its inwardly projecting end a fiber disk 40 having spaced metallic insets or contacts 41 and 42 against which respectively bear the pairs of fixed metallic clips 41 and 42. The disposition of the insets 41 and 42 is such that when bar 8 is at its upward limit the lower clips 42 are bridged by the inset 42, and when said bar is at its downward limit the upper clips 41 are bridged by the inset 41. Bearing against the arbor 16 is a fixed strip 43.

The cut-out shown inFig. 17 consists of a long metallic strip 44 and a short metallic strip 45 separated by insulation 46. It is a unitary device which is removably secured in place by thumb-nuts 47 forming parts of two binding posts which are bridged by the stri 44, the shorter strip 45 at that time bri ging two other bindingposts 48'. The electrical connections are such that by releasing thecut-out at one or both ends so as to destroy the electrical bridge between'the.

binding posts 47 and 47 and 48 and 48 the electrical system is entirely disesta'blished, enabling the, slide and the. other movable parts to be operated, as in adjusting them, without the various indicators and alarms being actuated.

For governing the descent of the slide and hence adjusting the frequency of the stroke of the indicators I provide the device shown best in Figs. 8 to 10. Here 49 is a piston whose stem is attached to the yoke 5 of the slide and moving vertically in a cylinder comprising spaced inner and outer cylinder members 50 and 51, a top cap 52 having a gland through which the stem of the piston asses and screwed upon the cylinder mem er 51 and a base cap 53 screwed also upon said cylinder member 51. The members 50 and 51 are spaced by the orificed flange 54 on member 50 and the orificed ring 55, and the member 50 has a valve seat 56 screwed into its lower end and atfording communication, through its central port 57 and radiating ports 58, between the space between members 50 and 51 and the interior of member 50. Substantially the whole of the cylinder is filled with liquid, preferably some viscid oil. A ball-valve 59 rests on the seat 56, being loosely retain-ed in place by the guard 60. Brazed to the outside of member 51 is a tubular part 61 which protrudes downwardly through the cap 53 and has a nut 62 screwed thereon and serving to hold member 51 down against said cap. The passage 63 of part 61 communicates with the interior of the member 50 and has tapped into it from below the ad-' justing spindle 64 which more or less obstructs the series of small orifices'65 afiording communication between" passage 63 and the space between the cylinder members 50 and 51. The operation of this governor will be obvious. When the slide is raised, the governor will oppose comparatively little resistance thereto, because the liquid displaced by the upper side of the piston has substan tially unobstructed access to the interior of cylinder member 50 below the piston past the ball-valve 59; when the slide descends, however, since the liquid displaced by the lower side of the piston can now only reach the interior of the cylinder member 50 above the piston through the restricted orifices 63, the downward motion of the slide is impeded, and this may be varied by adjusting the spindle 61.

An automatic primary circuit closer of the thermally operated type is shown in-Fig.

12. This device is fully described and claimed in my application filed April 25th,

1912, Serial No. 693151, and requires no further description herein than to say that 66 is a suitable support carrying a receptacle 67 for mercury 68 or any other thermo-ex-' pansible substance, 69 and 70 being terminals depending into the receptacle so as to beaboth touched by the mercury whenthe same expands. Y

The manually operated tell-tale shown in Figs.13, 14 and 15 is constructed to prevent its surreptitious manipulation to close the circuit and set the system operating without its being apparent where, by such a circuit closer, the circuit was closed. It comrises a case 71 havin a door 72 with a lock 73; a rotary arbor 74 journaled within the case and carrying an insulative disk 7 5 which is normally turned in the direction of the arr'ow in Fig. 14 by a spring 77 coiled about its hub 76 and having its ends respectively attached to the binding piece 78 fixed in the case and the contact 79 which enters arecess 80 in the disks periphery. On a binding piece 81 is fixed a spring pawl 82 whose lug 83 forms one terminal of a break in the circuit of. which the other is closing the circuit and keeping it so until the door is again opened. The disk has its rotary movement from the position shown in Fig. 14 to that where it is locked by pawl 82 limited by the stop 85 entering an arcuate recess 86 in the disk.

The indicator-alarm IA is shown. in Fig. 16 and consists of asuitable support 87, a bell 88, an electromagnet 89 and a pivoted-armature hammer 90. 92 and 93 are leading-in binding posts and 94 a common return binding post. This indicator-alarm includes proper electrical connections and other instrumentalities whereby when the current enters at 92 it will operate single stroke and whereby, when the current enters at 93, it will operate as a vibrator, or continuously, all in accordance with a well known construction unnecessary of further description.

The central indicator CI is a single stroke bell device functioning precisely the nals of the tell-tales extend thewires b (in effect, branches a) which, Fig. 2, are connected with the strips 21 and 32. Including the magnet 30 and extending from the metallic strip .35 to the battery is a wire 0. If any tell-tale operates, the magnet 30 will retract its armature out of locking relation tothe cylinder 23', permitting theinotor 22 to depress the slide 4. Thus the system is set in operation.

Fronithe left-hand guide 2 and including the short strip of the cut-out there extends to the binding post 92 of the indicator-alarm I-A a wire d, and from the binding post 94 of the indicator-alarm to a binding post f in the wire 0 there extends a wire 6. Thus, upon the impelled train of circuit closers being released and rotating, as soon as the pinion 15 runs from the insulative to the metal part of rack 3' the circuit through a, thewire 6 whose tell-tail has operated, strip 21, wheel 18, arbor 16, pinion 15, rack 3', guide 2, Wire d, the indicatoralarm, wire 6, wire 0 and the battery will be alternately made and broken as the strip 21 corresponding to the actuating tell tale Wipes over the periphery of the corresponding circuit closer of the impelled train. The indicator-alarm will thus produce strokes which correspond in number to that which is arbitrarily given the apartment in which the actuating tell-tale is located.

li F

From the battery B to a suitable point 9 extends a wire it including the plate 44 of the cut-out. (Fig. 3). From the point 9 to a suitable point 71 extends a wire 7'. From point i to the battery, and including first thecontacts 42, and then the central indicator CI extends a wire is including also the contact 43; including the strip 21 adjoining strip 43 and extending to the binding post f is a wire Z. From the point i to the binding post 93 of the indicator-alarm, and including the clips 41 extends a wire m. Thus, the clips 42 being (until the slide fully descends) in contact with the inset 42, a circuit from the battery through It 44, j, 42, 42, 42, k, CI, is, 43, 16, the single circuit closer 18 in the train, 21, Z, and 0 back to the battery, will be alternately made and broken as said single circuit closer in rotating is wiped by its strip 21, indicating at the central station the location of the building aifected; when the slide has fully descended and through the shifting of bar 8- has partly rotated the disk 40, establishing inset 41 in contact with the clips 41 and brealn'ng the circuit at the clips 42', the current will be switched at i so as to pass through m, 41, 41, 41', m, I-A, e to f and thence to the battery, and I-A will be operated continuously, as a vibrating alarm.

Finally, from point 9 extends to the wire 2 and thence to the battery, a wire 11. including the strips 37, and the supplementary alarm SA, this circuit being completed from the battery to point 9 by the wire it including strip 44. In the initial position of the cylinder 23 its contact 36 is clear of the strips 37, but when the cylinder has been rotated to its limit of movement (dotted said contact closes the circuit from the battery through it, 44, n, 37, 37, 72., SA, n, f, and c and operates SA continuously as a vibrating alarm.

The apparatus is reset by raising the slide by meansof the handle 6, this operation (if none of the tell-tales yet closes the circuit) leaving the various parts in the same relative positions they were assumed to occupy at the outset of the respective operations above described.

The support 1 may carry a number of binding posts, as shown, and of which f is one, serving as convenient means to which to attach the various wires.

I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of parts here in described and shown, what I claim being- 1. An electricindicating system substantially as described including, in combination, an electric circuithaving an unbranqhed and a branched portion, a source of energy and an indicator in the unbranched portion, a primary circuit closer in each branch, each ranch being divided, a movable train of secondary circuit closers for closing the circuit through one division in eachbranch, an electro-magnet connected in the circuit with the other divisions of said branches, and means, including a detent armature controlled by the magnet, for controlling the movement of said train. v

2. An electric indicatin system substantially as described, inclu ing, in combination, an electric circuit having an unbranched and a branched portion, a source of energy and an indicator in the unbranched portion, a primary circuit closer in each branch, each branch being divided, a movable train of secondary circuit closers for closing the circuit throughone division in each branch, an electro-magnet connected in the circuit With the other divisions of said branches and means, including a detent armature, controlled by the magnet and an armature-controlled circuit breaking mem her for the last-named divisions, for controlling the movement of said train.

3. An electric indicating system substan tially as described including, incombination,'an electric circuit having branches and a source of energy, an indicator in the circuit, a primary circuit closer in each branch, a normally impelled train of secondary circuit closers for the respective branches, and electro-magnetically released means for normally restraining the train against movement having an electro-magnet in said circuit,

at. An electric indicating system substantiallyas described including, in combination, an electric circuit having branches and a source of energy, an indicator in the circuit,

a primary circuit closer in each branch, a

normally impelled train of secondary circuit closers for the respective branches, said secondary circuit closers having diflerent numbers of circuit-closin contacts, and electro-magnetically released means for normally restraining the train against movement having an electro-magnet in said circuit.

5. An electric indicating system substantially as described including, in combination, an electric circuit 'havin an unbranched and a branched portion an in the unbranched portion, an indicator in the unbranched portion of the circuit, a primary circuit closer in each branch, a normally impelled train of secondary circuit closers for the respective branches, and electro-magnetically released means for normally restraining the train against movement having an electro-magnet in said circuit.

6. An electric indicating system substantially as described including, in combination, an electric circuit having branches and a source of energy, an indicator in the circuit, a primary circuit closer in each branch, a

1 a Source Of energy i normally impelled train of secondary circuit closers for the respective branches, and clectro-magnetically released means for normally restraining the train against movement having 'an electro-magnet in said circuit, said means including a circuit-closing part movable to break the magnet-including portion of the circuit,

, 7. An electric indicating system substantially as described including, in combination, an electric circuit having an unbranched and a branched portion, a source of energy and an indicator in the unbranched portion, a primary circuit closer in each branch, each branch being divided, a normally impelled train of secondarycircuit closers for closing the circuit through one division in each branch,an electro-magnet connected in the circuit with the other divisions of said branches, and means, including a detent armature controlled by said magnet for nor- ;mally restraining said train against movejment.

* 8. An electric indicating system substan- ;tially as described including, in combination, ian electric circuit havingan unbranched and a branched portion, a source of energy and an indicator in the unbranched portion, a primary circuit closer in each branch, each branch being divided, a normally impelled :train of secondary circuit closers for closing the circuit through one division in each branch, an electro-magnet connected in the gcircuit .,with the other divisions of said branches, and means, including a detent armature controlled. by the magnet and a j-train-impelled circuit breaking member nor- ;mally closing the circuit in each of the lastnamed divisions,.for normally restraining isaid train against movement. o

'9. An electric indicating and alarm system substantially as described including, in .combination, an indicator and an alarm, a Zbranched electric circuit having the alarm in one and the indicator in the other of its @branches, each branch having a break, a gswitch to close one break and open the other land vice versa, and means, including a cir lcuit closer for the indicator-includin ibranch, for moving the switch. 10. An electric indicating and alarm sysitem substantially as describeddncluding, in 'combination, an electric circuit having branches and a source of energy, an indicat01- in the circuit, a primary circuit closer in each branch, a movable train of circuit closers for the respective branches, said circuit having another branch, an alarm in the latter branch, and electro-magnetically controlled means for controlling the movement of saidtrain, said train including a moving circuit closing part forthe last-named branch.

11. In combination, With an indicator to be actuated, an electric circuit having diviw... WWW

vbranch iincluding the second-named indi cator and having abreak therein, and means, movable to close or open said break and including an electro-magnet in the other of said divisions, for controlling the movement of the first-named means, substantially as described.

12. In combination, with an indicator to be actuated, an electric circuit having divisions, means movable to make and break the circuit through one of. said divisions, an alarm, v said division having a branch and said branch including the alarm and having a break therein, and means, normally opening said break and movable to close the same and including an electro-magnet in the other of said divisions, for controlling the movement of the first-named means, substantially as described.

13. In combination, with an indicator to be actuated, an electric circuit having divisions, means movable to make and break the circuit through one of said divisions, another indicator, an alarm, said circuit having a branched branch, the branches of said branch including respectively the secondnamed indicator and the alarm and each having a break therein, and means movable to close one of said breaks and open the other, and vice versa, and including an elect-ro-magnet in the other of said divisions, for controlling the movement of the firstnamed means, substantially as described.

14:. The combination, with an indicator, of means for actuating the indicator including an electric circuit having branches each having a break therein, a rotary train of circuit closers having contacts movable into circuit-closing relation to the respective breaks in said branches, said train being normally rotated in one direction, and means, including a rotary circuit making and breaking cylinder, for releasably holding said train against rotation, substantially as described.

15. The combination, with a signal, of means for actuating the same including an electric circuit having branches each having a break therein, a rotary train of circuit the cylinder.

closers having contacts movable into circuitclosing relation to the respective breaks in said branches, said train being normally rotated in one direction, other signals to be actuated, said circuit having other branches respectively including said lastnamed signals, and means, including a device shiftable to switch the, current from one to the other of said last-named branches, for releasably holding said train against rotation, substantially as described.

16. The combination, with an indicator device, of means for actuating the same including an electric circuit having branches each having a break therein, a movable train of circuit closers having contacts movable into circuit-closing relation to the respectivebreaks in. said branches, said train being normally moved in one direction, means, including a slide movable with the train, for releasably holding the train against movement, and an adjustable governor opposing the movement of the slide, substantially as described.

17. The herein-described means for making and breaking an electric circuit includ ing, with a suitable support and a movable circuit making and breaking device, a slide coupled with said device, a rotary member journaled on an axis transverse of the line of travel of the slide, said slide and member having parts engageable with each other and interlockable, and detent means for said members.

18. The herein-described means for making and breaking an electric circuit including, with a suitable support and a movable circuit making and breaking device, :i slide coupled with said device, a rotary member journaled on an axis transverse of the line of travel of the slide, said member having a radial pair of jaw members and the slide; an eye adapted to engage one jaw member to turn the cylinder and thereupon receive the other jaw member, and detent means for In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH G. SCHLUCHTNER. Witnesses:

R'UDoLPH DILLMANN,

WM. L. Moons, Jr. 

